Fifth-round rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has injected new life into a lifeless Cleveland Browns offense in his three starts since taking over as the starter following Dillon Gabriel’s concussion. While the Browns have lost two of his three starts, Sanders’ performance has been promising enough that he has earned the role of being named the starting QB for the rest of the regular season.
Sanders is coming off his best performance in Week 14 in a loss to the Tennessee Titans, where he put up nearly 400 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in a 31-29 loss. He’ll have his hands full with a Chicago Bears defense in Week 15 that leads the NFL with 18 interceptions, but it will be a strong challenge for him to see if he can take the next step in his progression.
Analyst Lance Reisland shared a clip on X that shows how Sanders is having a positive impact on the rest of the offense, including fellow rookie Dylan Sampson.
The rookie running back had been a bit of an afterthought behind fellow rookie Quinshon Judkins for most of the season, but with Sanders under center, he is starting to come alive, as evidenced by the clip Reisland shared.
“One thing that doesn’t get talked about enough is the impact Sanders has on everyone else on offense. Dylan Sampson is a perfect example. When Sanders is in the game, Sampson looks like he’s in another gear. On these plays, Sampson runs Texas routes from the backfield, then later one after a chip. Sanders does an excellent job keeping his eyes left, holding the inside, then coming back to Sampson on the Texas route. Sampson finishes it with outstanding runs after catch. The offense has been more explosive with Sanders at quarterback.”
One thing that doesn’t get talked about enough is the impact Sanders has on everyone else on offense. Dylan Sampson is a perfect example. When Sanders is in the game, Sampson looks like he’s in another gear. On these plays, Sampson runs Texas routes from the backfield, then later… pic.twitter.com/6Ul4j0wpMj
— Lance Reisland (Coach Riz) (@LanceReisland) December 14, 2025
Over the first ten games of the season, Sampson’s longest play from scrimmage was 19 yards. In three games with Sanders, he has a 26-yard run, a 31-yard reception, and a screen pass that he took 66 yards for a touchdown.
Unfortunately, Sampson won’t have the opportunity to build on his recent success this week as he has been ruled out for the Bears game due to injuries to his calf and hand.
With Jerome Ford on IR, there will be a lot of pressure on Judkins to handle the full workload, but he has also been up to the challenge with Sanders under center.
NEXT: Former Scout Says Recent Shedeur Sanders Hype Is 'Unmerited'
